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Cost of Desertification

Desertification costs Isfahan Province a total of 390 billion rials ($12.1 million) per year, according to the director of the provincial office of Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) Mohammad-Hossein Shameli, IRNA reported. There are 16 areas in the province, covering over one million hectares, which are grappling with soil erosion, Shameli said. Major damages are incurred in eastern Isfahan, starting from Natanz County in the northeast, stretching southeast through Naeen, and all the way down to Gavkhuni Wetland, east of Shahreza city, spanning 241,000 hectares. Soil erosion contributes greatly to desertification, which is among Isfahan’s major challenges. So far, the FRWO has planted 300,000 hectares of forest in afflicted areas. Considering annual precipitation of 125 mm in Isfahan, environmental challenges of the province may be overcome by efficient resource management and preservation of vegetation, Shameli asserted.